Category IP-Watch Briefs

European Court Of Human Rights Finds Turkey Violated Freedom Of Expression In YouTube Blocking

Ten sites allegedly disrespectful to Kemal Attaturk, founder of modern Turkey, were enough for the courts in Turkey to ban a whole platform - YouTube - from 2008 until the end of 2010. But a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights today declared the blanket blocking a violation of the right to receive and impart information freely, protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

US Congressional Study Finds Excessive Profit-Seeking In USD84K Hepatitis Drug Sovaldi

Two bipartisan United States senators today released the results of an 18-month investigation into the US$84,000 price of the Sovaldi hepatitis C drug, finding the pricing and marketing strategy was aimed at maximizing revenue at the expense of access and affordability. The new report also shows the high impact on US government drug procurement programs and other data.

Group Calls On WTO Members To Make Trade Rules Development Compatible

A group of civil society organisations is calling for endorsements of a letter to the World Trade Organization prior to the upcoming Ministerial meeting in December aimed at preventing alleged efforts by rich countries to tighten international trade rules and introduce corporate “wish-list” issues from free trade agreements into the WTO.

US, China Talk Standards & IP, Trade Secrets, GIs, Broadcasting, Enforcement

The 26th United States-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) meeting was held from 21-23 November, and covered a wide range of intellectual property-related areas, including standards and IP, trade secrets, geographical indications, sports broadcasting, enhanced enforcement against media boxes and unauthorised content providers, and online enforcement.

New Industry Coalition To Promote Fair Standards In Licensing

A group of companies launched the Fair Standards Alliance this week in Brussels, aimed at ensuring licensing of standard-essential patents is done on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. This reflects an industry trend toward clarifying the meaning of FRAND to help boost use of patents included in standards.

Fake EFF Website Was Malicious, WIPO Panel Rules

A cybersquatter based in Indonesia who created a website falsely using the Electronic Frontier Foundation name but offering malware did so in bad faith and with malicious intent, a World Intellectual Property Organization panellist has found.

LDC Coordinator Thanks WTO For ‘Accountability To Humanity’ On Pharma IP

Last week's decision by a World Trade Organization committee to allow least-developed countries to not apply global IP rules for pharmaceuticals for 17 more years made WTO members accountable to humanity, the coordinator of the LDC Group has said. Pharmaceuticals are different from all other forms of IP, he said.